Troops Intercepts Families of Boko Haram Terrorists

Senator Iroegbu in Abuja

The Nigerian military has intercepted families of the Boko Haram terrorists escaping the onslaught and clearance operations in Sambisa forest towards the northern part of Borno State

This is coming as the troops of the Multi-National Joint Task Force (MNJTF), has launched Operation Gama Aiki, aimed at stopping the relocation of the terrorists towards the northern part of the state as well as flushing them out from the Lake Chad basin area bordering Chad and Niger Republic.

The Director of Army Public Relations (DAPR), Col. Sani Usman, in a statement yesterday, said that the troops of 81 Battalion and 251 Task Force Battalion deployed at an Observation Post, had in the early hours of Wednesday, sighted a group of persons approaching its Check Point at Liwanti village along DamboaBulabulin road, Borno State.

On arrival, Usman said, they were received and treated humanely based on International Humanitarian Laws and Rules of Engagement.

He however, said that on preliminary investigation, it was discovered that the 69 of them were indeed family members of Boko Haram terrorists escaping from Sambisa.

“Out of that number, seven of them are men, 18 women, seven grown up boys and 37 children,” he stated.

“At the initial state of interrogation, they claimed to have escaped from Boko Haram terrorists captivity at Ngwalimari village in Sambisa forest general area. But further interrogation revealed otherwise,” he noted.

Usman said that the troops recovered 15 bicycles, five Dane Guns and other personal effects from them.

He also said that further and thorough investigation is ongoing to ascertain other information from them.

In a related development, the Chief Military Public Information Officer, MNJTF, Col. Muhammad Dole, has stated the “firepower of Operation Lafiya Dole/Crackdown, has caused massive movement of Boko Haram Terrorists (BHT) escaping from Sambisa Forest towards Northern Borno state border with Niger Republic and Lake Chad Islands”.

According to Dole, the MNJTF in a concerted effort to keep up with its mandate, launched Operation Gama Aiki to clear all remnants of BHT in its general Area of Responsibility (AOR).

He stressed that the operation is aimed at ensuring that the terrorists are prevented from establishing another sanctuaries and hideouts in the Lake Chad region.

He revealed that Operation Gama Aiki involved the MNJTF troops and National Air and ground forces from Nigeria, Chad, Cameroun and Niger Republics.

He said: “Since the launch of the Op GAMA AIKI, appreciable operational successes are being recorded in the frontlines.